First-Week Approach When Taking Over An Existing Salesforce Org

We kicked off our conversation with Jitin by asking for his recommended first-week approach when taking over an existing Salesforce org. He walked us through how he assesses and prioritizes what needs attention first.

Incomplete or Outdated Documentation

Documentation is often incomplete or outdated in inherited Salesforce orgs. We asked Jitin about key areas admins should focus on first, and what tools or methods he recommends for this process.

Technical Debt in Inherited Salesforce Orgs

At this point in our conversation, Jitin talked about how he evaluates which customizations or configurations should be kept, updated, or removed entirely.

Looking at Security in an Inherited Org

Security and sharing settings can be complex to untangle in an inherited Salesforce org for admins. We were curious about Jitin’s systematic approach to auditing and validating existing security configurations in an inherited org.

There was much more to our conversation with Jitin about inheriting a Salesforce org. Listen to the full Salesforce Simplified episode here. 

Related Resources:

How to Keep Your Salesforce Org Secure and Up-To-Date

Set Up Your Salesforce Org for Integration with MuleSoft

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

It’s a constant sprint to stay ahead in today’s business world. That’s not just about flashy new products or marketing campaigns – it’s about the nuts and bolts of your operation, too. And for many companies, that means keeping their Salesforce® running smoothly. At Ad Victoriam Solutions (AdVic®), we get it. We’re a Salesforce Consulting Partner that believes a secure, up-to-date Salesforce org is the key to unlocking its full potential, keeping your data safe, and giving your team the tools they need to win.

In the spirit of that, we thought it a useful exercise to delve into the key strategies you can implement to ensure your Salesforce org remains secure and benefits from the latest features. In this AdVic Salesforce Blog, we’ll also explore how managed services can help streamline this process and free up your valuable resources.

Staying Up-to-Date with Salesforce Releases

Salesforce releases new features and updates three times a year: Spring, Summer, and Winter. These updates often include bug fixes, performance enhancements, and exciting new functionalities. Here’s how to leverage them effectively:

• Review Release Notes: Salesforce provides detailed Release Notes outlining the new features and functionalities in each update. Dedicating time to understanding these notes allows you to plan how to best integrate these advancements into your workflows.
• Prioritize Updates: Not all updates are created equal. While some may be critical security fixes, others might introduce features you don’t currently need. Evaluate each update based on its relevance to your business needs and prioritize implementation accordingly.
• Develop a Testing Strategy: Before deploying any update in your production environment, create a robust testing strategy. This typically involves thorough testing in a sandbox environment to identify and address any potential conflicts or issues.

Maintaining Peak Security in Your Salesforce Org

Salesforce boasts robust security features, but additional steps can further fortify your org’s defenses:

• Enforce Strong Password Policies: Implement strict password requirements, including minimum length, complexity, and regular mandatory changes. Consider integrating multi-factor authentication (MFA) for an additional layer of security
• Manage User Permissions Granularly: The principle of least privilege dictates that users should only have access to the data and functionalities they need to perform their jobs effectively. Regularly review and adjust user permissions to minimize potential security risks.
• Monitor Login Activity: Utilize Salesforce’s login history and monitoring tools to identify any suspicious login attempts. This can help detect potential unauthorized access and enable timely intervention.

Data Backup and Recovery

Data loss can be devastating for any business. Here’s how to safeguard your valuable information:

• Regular Backups: Schedule regular backups of your Salesforce data, including objects, fields, and configurations. This ensures you have a recent copy of your data in case of accidental deletion or system failure.
• Data Encryption: Encrypt your sensitive data both at rest and in transit. This adds a crucial layer of protection from unauthorized access, even if a breach occurs.
• Disaster Recovery Plan: Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that outlines the steps to take in case of a major data loss event. This plan should include clear procedures for data restoration and system recovery.

The Benefits of Managed Services

Maintaining a secure and up-to-date Salesforce org can be a demanding task, especially for businesses with limited IT resources. This is where managed services come in. Here’s what a managed service provider (MSP) can offer:

• Automated Updates and Security Management: MSPs can automate the update testing and deployment process, freeing your team to focus on core business activities. They can also manage security configurations, user permissions, and ongoing monitoring.
• Expertise and Proactive Maintenance: MSPs leverage their extensive Salesforce knowledge to proactively identify potential issues and suggest preventive measures. This ensures your org remains secure and optimized for ongoing performance.
• Reduced Costs and Increased Efficiency: Managed services can be more cost-effective than hiring and training dedicated in-house Salesforce personnel. This allows you to optimize spending and maximize resource allocation.
• Regular Reporting and Communication: MSPs provide clear and regular reports on the health and security of your Salesforce org. This allows you to stay informed and make data-driven decisions.

Summary

Keeping your Salesforce org up-to-date and secure requires constant vigilance and proactive measures. By implementing the strategies outlined above and considering a managed service solution, you can ensure your Salesforce environment remains a secure, reliable, and future-proof platform that empowers your business success.

How AdVic Can Help

Consistent vigilance and a proactive approach are key to maintaining a robust Salesforce org. Partnering with AdVic can significantly ease this burden and empower your team to focus on core business activities. Let’s discuss how we can help you keep your Salesforce org secure and optimized for growth.

Related Resources:

What Salesforce Managed Services Can Do For You

The Power of Managed Services in Technology Management

System Upgrades Propel Manufacturers’ Pace Through Managed Services

*Some images courtesy of Salesforce.

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When setting up your Salesforce Org for an effective and efficient integration with MuleSoft, there are a few integration tools that will be helpful in your integration journey. 

In this article, we will be going over how to set up a Connected App with MuleSoft, and two ways to send messages regarding data changes from your Salesforce Org to MuleSoft. 

Set Up a MuleSoft Connected App

First, let’s begin by setting up the MuleSoft Connected App in your org. 

From Setup, search “App Manager” in the quick find box. This is where you will create a new connected app to host the secure connection between Salesforce® and MuleSoft®

The scopes that will allow this kind of access will: 

1. Provide access to your data via the web.
2. Allow access to your unique identifier.
3. Access and manage your data.

Once the connected app for MuleSoft has been created, you can search “Manage Connected Apps” and find the MuleSoft app there as seen below:

When you click “View” on your MuleSoft app in the Manage Connected App page, you will find the “Consumer Key” and “Consumer Secret,” which is required for connecting MuleSoft and Salesforce. Like the Integration User’s username and password, this will be in the configuration file in MuleSoft to establish a secure integration. 

Quick Tip: To view the Consumer Secret, you will be asked to click “Click to Reveal” as it is a confidential key and crucial in establishing a secure connection.

With your connected app set up, you are ready to begin the journey of sending messages between MuleSoft and Salesforce. 

Sending Messages Between MuleSoft and Salesforce

In order to explain this most thoroughly, let’s follow this example:

Your Salesforce org would like to have all contacts created or edited in Salesforce to be integrated with your legacy database system via MuleSoft. Each time a contact is created or edited in Salesforce, you need MuleSoft to make those changes in the legacy system as well. There are two ways to set this up inside of Salesforce: 

1. Platform Events and Process Builders
2. APEX Classes

We will now go over the benefits and potential pitfalls of each of these.

Platform Events and Process Builders

A platform event is a component of the event-driven software architecture of Salesforce and external systems (in our case, MuleSoft). These systems pass messages through platform event messages, which are listened for in MuleSoft. Platform events must have a trigger inside of Salesforce to send that message to MuleSoft. This is where the Process Builder comes in. 

Create a Process Builder to be triggered each time a Contact is created or edited. This will trigger the process whenever there is activity related to Contacts.

The Contact is either new or any of the fields are updated, so you should have a branch for each of those options.

Quick Tip: Make sure you are listing each of the fields on the object you want to trigger an update in your integrated system. If someone updates a field that is not listed as part of the process builder, the message to update the contact will not be sent to MuleSoft. 

These two options will go to an immediate action of either New Contact or Update Contact using the sObject (Platform Event) as a Record Type. This will fire the Platform event to send a message to MuleSoft with the Key, Method, and Object Type.

On MuleSoft’s end, there is a listener that is waiting for one of these Platform Event messages to come across and will fire the appropriate flow in response to the message it receives. 

APEX Classes

An APEX Class can be configured to be an HTTP callout using the Salesforce REST API we talked about earlier. The HTTP callout will be easier to use, but will still require Salesforce development. An APEX Class is created in the Developer console and is written to receive the request from Salesforce regarding the change in data and send that message to a listener in MuleSoft, similar to the way the first option works. We highly recommend using Platform Events and Process Builders because they require significantly less Salesforce development time and are easier to maintain in the long run. 

In addition, APEX Classes are only a good option for a limited number of profiles. The caveat of using APEX Classes is that each user must have permission to use the class. If you are using APEX Classes, this permission can be added in the profile permissions as seen below.

Once you click edit on the APEX Class Access page, you will be brought to the screen below, where you can change the selected Classes that the profile has permission to use. In order to trigger the APEX Class, the user must have a profile with access to the APEX Class.

Summary

Connected Apps, Platform Events and APEX code allow for efficient communication between Salesforce and MuleSoft. Connected Apps allow Salesforce to recognize the connection to MuleSoft. Platform Events or APEX code allow for communication to MuleSoft. This explicit process for setting up communication with your integration platform will allow for a manageable integration with MuleSoft. Following this article will allow you to fast track your integration setup. These steps will ensure that you have the foundation of your integration and the communication between MuleSoft and Salesofrce configured. With an effective integration foundation, you will be set up for a successful integration.

Ad Victoriam’s certified, experienced and passionate MuleSoft consultants team up with businesses to turn legacy point-to-point integrations into a scalable architecture that your business can grow with. How can we help your business today?

Related Resources:

• What Can MuleSoft Do for Your Salesforce Org?
• Create Better Integrations with MuleSoft Flow Designer
• MuleSoft Composer’s Ease of Use Reduces the Need for IT

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